A vast number of RF surgical apparatuses have been known. In general, these apparatuses comprise an RF generator and a surgical instrument. Many RF surgical instruments are designed as so-called monopolar instruments, in which a large-surface neutral electrode is attached with good contact to the body (mostly the thigh) of the patient so that the actual treatment current from a treatment electrode flows through the body of the patient and through the neutral electrode for coagulation, cutting, etc. by an RF surgical technique.
In some surgeries, it is desirable for several surgeons to work on the same patient with RF surgical instruments at the same time. From publication DE 10 2005 007 769 A1, an RF surgical apparatus enabling the connection of several instruments—via one switch, respectively—to a single output of a single RF generator is known. Indeed, such an RF surgical apparatus allows simultaneous surgeries; however, at all times, the instruments can only be driven in the same operating mode that has been prespecified by the RF generator. Furthermore, considering the known arrangement, there is a problem that the instruments or active electrodes are connected in parallel, via relays, to the output of the RF generator. If two surgeons operate at the same time, the generator feeds two active electrodes in a parallel manner. The power output by the generator, however, is divided in a non-uniform manner that is consistent with the tissue properties on the active electrodes. A control of the adjusted currents, as is common in RF generators, can no longer be performed in this manner.
Now, to ensure that two instruments will be able to work with different adjustments of the RF generator, it is conceivable to drive two completely independent RF surgical devices with one dedicated active electrode and one dedicated neutral electrode. Indeed, in this case, completely independent output and operating mode adjustments can be implemented; however, if the arrangement of the neutral electrode is unfavorable, in particular if one body region is perfused by both RF currents at the same time, neuromuscular stimulations due to floating currents can occur. For this reason, this procedure is viewed as being dangerous.